The end of College Football?

[Spence]

Here we go. Steep slippery cliff.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/headlines/20141021-texas-athletic-director-with-new-rules-longhorns-will-pay-each-player-10000.ece

[Derek]

I think the end of the seperation from the Pro's has been coming for some time. College is about a stepping stone to the Pro's.

I don't like paying them....but I wish we could work the rules where their signatures on some jersey's at an event did not get them suspended for a few games.

Set the rules for those events and make them have full disclosure of the amount paid, and set the limit on what they can be paid at 500 or so, and then enforce it across the board. If you pay them more, they will be suspended for the rest of the year and the school we have to pay a fine, or something like that.

[Spence]

I think the end of the seperation from the Pro's has been coming for some time. College is about a stepping stone to the Pro's.

I don't like paying them....but I wish we could work the rules where their signatures on some jersey's at an event did not get them suspended for a few games.

Set the rules for those events and make them have full disclosure of the amount paid, and set the limit on what they can be paid at 500 or so, and then enforce it across the board. If you pay them more, they will be suspended for the rest of the year and the school we have to pay a fine, or something like that.

I think paying them a stipend would be ok. I also agree they should be able to sign some jerseys. The situation that got Tressel axed a few years ago involved players trading tattoos for signing some stuff. It is silly when you consider the amount of money these guys generate. If the schools acted as the player representative and kept the signings above board I would be ok with that. Let the schools keep 10% for handling it and report to the NCAA. Give the players so much of that money as a stipend while in school and give them a check of the balance when they leave to get on with thier lives. That would eliminate a lot of the sleezy booster types that surround CFB right now.

[donovan]

I think the end of the seperation from the Pro's has been coming for some time. College is about a stepping stone to the Pro's.

I don't like paying them....but I wish we could work the rules where their signatures on some jersey's at an event did not get them suspended for a few games.

Set the rules for those events and make them have full disclosure of the amount paid, and set the limit on what they can be paid at 500 or so, and then enforce it across the board. If you pay them more, they will be suspended for the rest of the year and the school we have to pay a fine, or something like that.

This is exactly what was needed....if they don't do this....just bag the whole idea. There will be some principled schools that will drop out......Who want to see a National Champion from a league of 8 colleges....not I.

[Spence]

I would just like to know how North Carolina is allowed to play any sport at this point. A few players sign some stuff for money and they are done. Blatant academic fraud at North Carolina is let to flourish over the last 20 years and several NCAA investigations. Seems a little unfair to me.

[WoVeU]

I wouldn't think it too bad at $5K in cash for a year and $5K in non-cash benefits as the article says. I think being able to do autographs and keep that money is good. But let's go ahead and rain some real world down on them. 15% to the athletic department to administrate the events (and this should largely be done by student athletes and graduate assistants....education in business). If football players are doing an event then the next 20% to the group fund for all FB players and the next 10% to all athletes. So they get a feel for that wonderful free economy of ours! I think teams should also to be able to do car washes or other paid events as a team once or twice a month in the off season too. (Example, the Air Force will send troops out to do security, clean-up, or food service at concerts and the sponsor of the even donates to a military charity, MWR or something. Let the teams do that and money go to a charity and the team.)

[donovan]

This is a terrible plan for players....it is exploitation at it's worst. The $5000 for expenses is ok....that is more than I think is needed but in the ball park. The terrible, obscene immoral part is the school is paying them $5000 for the use of their image. Just think about the ramifications of that...unbelievable.

[Spence]

This is a terrible plan for players....it is exploitation at it's worst. The $5000 for expenses is ok....that is more than I think is needed but in the ball park. The terrible, obscene immoral part is the school is paying them $5000 for the use of their image. Just think about the ramifications of that...unbelievable.

I don't think the school should pay them for the use of their image. I think they should get paid for the use of their image. I think the school should handle them in this and get a standard 10-15% fee. That would help put the creepy crawlers out of business and bring something that is already happening out into the sunlight.

[donovan]

So what happens when a kid is offered a Texas stipend, and refuses to sign the image rights turnover........they yank his scholarship? And now that they are being paid for use of their image....they can get agents......this is a can of worms. In America today we can not just do the simple correct thing. Everything gets convoluted. You buy a donut and give the person your money. Not all that big of a deal. Now you get one foot of cash register receipt, a number to call to win 500 bucks if you take a survey, paper that gets thrown in the trash before you leave the store and if you gave them your email.....

Not that I live in the past...but what happened to, "Here's my nickel, thanks for the donut?"

[Spence]

So what happens when a kid is offered a Texas stipend, and refuses to sign the image rights turnover........they yank his scholarship? And now that they are being paid for use of their image....they can get agents......this is a can of worms. In America today we can not just do the simple correct thing. Everything gets convoluted. You buy a donut and give the person your money. Not all that big of a deal. Now you get one foot of cash register receipt, a number to call to win 500 bucks if you take a survey, paper that gets thrown in the trash before you leave the store and if you gave them your email.....

Not that I live in the past...but what happened to, "Here's my nickel, thanks for the donut?"

I think the stipend has to be consistent among all D1 schools. The money he reaps from his image should be basically what it is worth on the open market. Much the same way olympic athetes deals work. He should not have to sign his image rights over. He should have control over how his image is used. The schools would just act as an agent. I am with you with "Here's my nickel, thanks for the donut?", but marketing is now the way of the world now. It is ridiculous how much marketing money that is built in to every product you buy, but it isn't going away anytime soon. I wholesale food for a living and you can't even get a net net deal on products anymore. Not even commodity items.

I do think that had the NCAA let the scholarships keep up with the times as far as room and board (living) expenses, that this wouldn't be an issue now. But they didn't and it is.